Essential Tools Thread

[SharpDog]

Ok, drooling over a BLR Lightweight takedown in .306 got me off into the accursed one-gun tangent. ... I know, sigh ... not another one of these again.

This is different. I would like you to talley all knives, firearms, guns and tools you would take if you were to go on an extended stay away from civilzation. It could be a trek down the Appalacian trail or across the country. We're going to assume a one year duration. You may need to defend yourself against theives and the like.

We're not counting shelter, clothes, electronics, survival items or packs here just heavy metal and explosives.


Which gun or guns with ammo?

Which Knife or Knives

Any metal tools like multi-tools, pliers, etc ?



I'll go first:

I'm going to take my DDM6 A R in 5.56 with scope= 8 lbs exactly. Add 210 rds at 5,5 lbs = 13.5 total.

Next is my .25 cal PSP air rifle at 7 lbs with pump & scope = 7 lbs. 1500 pellets = 4.5 lbs
= 11.5 lbs total. (I pick the air rifle bc it's silent. In case anyone wants to invite themselves for dinner).

Then my Sig m25 with light at 2 lbs with 200 rds @ 2 lbs = 4 lbs total

Total for guns & ammo = 29 lbs.

To that I add a Buck Hood Hoodlum long knife at 12 oz, a 4" drop-point hunter or Canadian pattern knife at 4 oz A multi-tool at 6oz and a med-small forest axe at 3.5 lbs.

Total for all guns, knives, tools & ammo = 34 lbs. Add in 1 lb for a small cleaning kit, etc and the total comes to 35 lbs


Here's a chart for ammo weight

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/04/09/how-much-does-your-ammunition-weigh/

 

[AlexanderA]

Are you backpacking all this or taking it in a truck?

If you are humping it, about 60 lbs.would be the upper limit -- and that would include everything, not just weapons and tools. Personally, I would rather just stay home.

 

[Keith G]

29lbs in just guns and ammo?!?! I hope you have a strong back, good knees and don’t care much for shelter, prepared food, clothes or other amenities.

I’d take my single action 357 revolver, with a handful of 357’s and a handful of 38 specials, a multi tool and a knife capable of processing any animal I kill for food.

 

[jmorris]

I have carried a letterman for decades. My wife used to make fun of me until it saved a trip we were on when her plastic catch gave way and I made a new one from a piece of wire from the end of a fence.

I might leave the house without a cell phone or my wallet, might even forget a pistol but I always have that on me.

Last thing I stuff in checked baggage (now it’s forbidden) and the first thing I get back out.

 

[adcoch1]

Leatherman wave multi tool, gerber hatchet, 3.5" mora fixed blade and my old timer 10" bowie. That should cover knives, I may throw in my camping swiss army knife too.

Guns would be my tikka t3 30-06 and my 6# ar15, and my ruger Redhawk or blackhawk in 44 mag. Probably my standard 3 loads for the 44 i take backpacking, but for the 30-06 I'd take a box of ammo and my lee loader and a few components. A lot lighter than loaded ammo.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

29lbs in just guns and ammo?!?! I hope you have a strong back, good knees and don’t care much for shelter, prepared food, clothes or other amenities.

I’d take my single action 357 revolver, with a handful of 357’s and a handful of 38 specials, a multi tool and a knife capable of processing any animal I kill for food.

With 29lb of guns and ammo, you can pretty much TAKE whatever shelter, food, or clothes you like. Just sayin.....

 

[taliv]

I know, sigh ... not another one of these again.

yeah, seriously.

I don't know if you've spent any time on the AT, but there's nothing on there that would make an AR worth the weight, and it's not as far from civilization as you might think. certainly not far enough to get away with poaching, which the other hikers would most certainly not approve of.

With 29lb of guns and ammo, you can pretty much TAKE whatever shelter, food, or clothes you like. Just sayin

sure, until the law takes you into custody, where they will provide you shelter, food and some orange clothes for many years to come

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ahhhh, ok, so for my totally "not Teotwaki because we dont do those" walking scenario loadout:

Scoped AR with 8×30 mags for 240 rounds .223.
M9 with 3x15 mags for 45 rounds of 9mm.
Suppressed S&W 422 pistol with a couple of mags and a spare brick of subsonics in my pack, figure 520 rounds .22.

Ontario machete.
Camillus Aircrew Survival knife.
A push dagger some place dark and sweaty.

Bolt cutters.

Figure that'll get me by......

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

yeah, seriously.

I don't know if you've spent any time on the AT, but there's nothing on there that would make an AR worth the weight, and it's not as far from civilization as you might think. certainly not far enough to get away with poaching, which the other hikers would most certainly not approve of.



sure, until the law takes you into custody, where they will provide you shelter, food and some orange clothes for many years to come

Well, sure, but if there were any law left, wouldnt need to walk around for a year armed to the teeth, would we?

 

[RedlegRick]

On my back? Not hard to do, cause I can't carry much at all any more. My G17 and three mags, plus this exercise permits me to consider what I think is a cool concept, the Pak-Rifle, that single shot one pound take-down deal. Hundred rounds of 147 grain +p loads for the Glock should be plenty, and two hundred for the .22 would be all the firepower I'd possibly need. Glock weighs 2 lbs, rifle 1, and total ammo maybe three pounds, give or take.

On my belt would ride my Gerber multitool and in my pack would be my combo hatchet/hammer/pry bar I've had since high school. Fiskars folding saw rounds that out and by my best guesstimate we're looking at 3-4 pounds there alone. Toss is some paracord, rat traps, and my firestarting kit and we're north of ten pounds in hardware.

That's it. If I were going on an extended sojourn like that, I'd rely more on foraging, fishing, and trapping than stalking and hunting. While it has been quite a while since I camped rough, I might be able to handle it. Probably won't enjoy it like I used to, but I'd at least make a sporting go at it.
Edited to add: Throw in a covered saucepan with a pouring lip to boil water in too, another pound or so. That's an important piece of hardware to have on an extended wilderness adventure.

 

[Labguy47]

On my back? Not hard to do, cause I can't carry much at all any more. Throw in a covered saucepan with a pouring lip to boil water in too, another pound or so. That's an important piece of hardware to have on an extended wilderness adventure.

Redleg I was wondering if you where gonna forget the important things, The only difference between our lists is a ring saw, flint and steel, poncho and a space blanket.
My sidearm would be my FNP-9 and my rifle a Ruger 77/22 in .22WMR. Gerber multitool and SOG Creed for edged blades.
Everything I could need fits in a field bag. I just added a small roll of duct tape for emergencies.

 

[Speedo66]

I do motorcycle camping, and I can tell you less is more. The smaller, lighter, the better. For a trip as you envision, having to carry everything myself, I'd want to at least half the weight the OP is talking about.

In the east, there's nothing I'd want to shoot that a .22 wouldn't work for. As always, shot placement is key. A lightweight .22 Marlin Papoose in stainless and a couple of hundred rounds, maybe 5-6 lbs. My Browning Buckmark .22 pistol, a Mora, and perhaps a Leatherman and I'm good as far as weapons and knives.

 

[Olon]

For guns I'd take my .357 lever action with 150-200 rounds or so. Good enough for deer, rabbits, people etc. With that amount of ammo I could probably eat for a year. I figure with a lever action I don't need to worry so much about maintaining it though I could be wrong. I'd have the appropriate screwdrivers to disassemble if I had to.

For knives take my buck 112 and a small whetstone. Maybe also a hatchet of sorts. Would come in handy for making a shelter.

I'd also take a pair of fencing pliers.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Hiking for a year? That's a lot of hiking, and I like to hike..............

I'd bring a Leatherman in the mid size range. Good utility there and lots of uses.
I'd bring a particular Buck folding knife also that I have. It's some high carbon Pro Series knife with about a 3.5 inch blade.
I'd buy one and bring along a small 22 mag revolver for hunting small game to feed myself, and I'd bring 400 rounds of ammo for it.
I'd also bring this for killing larger game if need be or fending off mean animals or people. 10mm from a 5" barrel would do anything I needed it to do in this scenario. A 4" 357 magnum is the runner up, but I'm currently enthralled with this gun. I'd bring 200 rounds for it, because I have 100 round boxes, and three spare magazines.

6B615887-1DB7-43E5-9527-23B3BB4FDEA4

• Zaydok Allen
• Feb 27, 2019

P220, 10mm Auto SAO

No idea on total weight, but it's a lot less than 29 lbs.

 

[BSA1]

Blackpowder percussion cap rifle. For back east woods maybe a 36 caliber. Cross country 45 or 50 caliber. Probably the 50.

Powder horn.

Possibles bag with extra caps, old cotton rags for making patches, round ball bullet mold, rounds balls, fire starters and a few tools for cleaning and gun maintenance.

Neck knife for cutting patches and cleaning small game.

Medium size fix blade knife for skinning medium size game such as deer.

Modern hatchet with axe edge on one end and a hammer style tail for pounding stakes in the ground, etc.

Sharping tool for knives and axe.

Modern multi-tool.

Lead fishing weights. Can melt them down if I run short on bullets and fishing for food makes more sense than always hunting using use powder and bullets.

(Fishing hooks and line also but this is about guns and gear).

 

[RedlegRick]

Redleg I was wondering if you where gonna forget the important things, The only difference between our lists is a ring saw, flint and steel, poncho and a space blanket.
My sidearm would be my FNP-9 and my rifle a Ruger 77/22 in .22WMR. Gerber multitool and SOG Creed for edged blades.
Everything I could need fits in a field bag. I just added a small roll of duct tape for emergencies.

Naw, didn't forget. OPs conditions stipulated just the shooting irons mainly. I got so many 'basic' kits now I kind of forget I have them. Not a ring saw fan, sure, better than nothing, but a good folding saw works better and faster in my hands.

 

[earlthegoat2]

If I absolutely had to live off the grid and away from civilization in this completely non-Zombie apocalypse thread, I would probably take a Magnum Research 10/22 Magnum SBR with the carbon fiber barrel and suppressor for all my hunting and shooting and defense. 500 rnds of .22 Mag. I am assuming we wont have to abide by any pesky laws while "out there" so SBRs, poaching, suppressors, and targets of opportunity will all be fair game. Folding saw too as well as a multi tool (I currently have a Gerber paraframe), my Spyderco Yojimbo 2, and my Buck Vanguard as well as my Spyderco Sharpmaker sharpener.

I estimate this loadout to be something like 15 lbs.

 

[RedlegRick]

One thing I might add or swap out would be a pellet pistol or slingshot for small game instead of the .22, because with the former, 1k rounds might weigh only 2 pounds, whereas the latter could be fed with smooth pebbles if need be.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

One thing I might add or swap out would be a pellet pistol or slingshot for small game instead of the .22, because with the former, 1k rounds might weigh only 2 pounds, whereas the latter could be fed with smooth pebbles if need be.

Shorter ranged and less accurate, though.....

 

[readyeddy]

Light weight bolt rifle, MPL-50 Shovel, Leatherman Wave, Morakniv 4" Carbon Blade

 

[RedlegRick]

Shorter ranged and less accurate, though.....

Quieter, lighter, and cheaper though. Ounces become pounds as the miles add up. I can feed a wrist rocket with dollar-store marbles that can put some serious hurt on small game and sometimes are reusable. Pellet gun is simply handier and not hard to work around the limitations.

 

[Mn Fats]

Blackpowder percussion cap rifle. For back east woods maybe a 36 caliber. Cross country 45 or 50 caliber. Probably the 50.

Powder horn.

Possibles bag with extra caps, old cotton rags for making patches, round ball bullet mold, rounds balls, fire starters and a few tools for cleaning and gun maintenance.

Neck knife for cutting patches and cleaning small game.

Medium size fix blade knife for skinning medium size game such as deer.

Modern hatchet with axe edge on one end and a hammer style tail for pounding stakes in the ground, etc.

Sharping tool for knives and axe.

Modern multi-tool.

Lead fishing weights. Can melt them down if I run short on bullets and fishing for food makes more sense than always hunting using use powder and bullets.

(Fishing hooks and line also but this is about guns and gear).

This thread had me thinking of the old trappers and mountain men of the 1800's. What did they carry when venturing in to unknown territory not knowing how long they could be gone or what they would encounter? Good knife, good gun with essentials bag, jerky, canteen, flint for fire and good clothes. Nowadays, Its just a variation of that with modern tech.

 

[Olon]

This thread had me thinking of the old trappers and mountain men of the 1800's. What did they carry when venturing in to unknown territory not knowing how long they could be gone or what they would encounter? Good knife, good gun with essentials bag, jerky, canteen, flint for fire and good clothes. Nowadays, Its just a variation of that with modern tech.

True. Makes me think of Louis L'Amour's Sackett books. At least the first few where Barnabas and his family are getting settled.

 

[Jared Campbell]

I live in Eugene, OR and our biggest threat would be the Cascadia subduction zone, and if that went, I reckon my way of survival would be determined my location when the earthquake occurred. My best bet, that I am hoping for is that the earthquake happened when at home. I am setup nice at the house with everything I need to make it through the disaster. If it happened when I am away from the house, then I always carry my DPMS 5.56 Oracle with a red/greed dot holographic scope with 320 rds. I also have my Glock 19 with 7 mags giving me additional 105 rds, I also carry a package of 40 Kirkland water bottles in my truck along with a first aid kit, and some MRE’s enough for 3 days, compass, and some matches to start a fire all of this is pack into my bug out bag. I also additional items such as rain gear ect!

 

[jamesjames]

I do this with my vehicles on the Oregon coast with the ever present threat of earthquake/tsunami.

Long and short in pistol caliber magnum. Smith m66 and Rossi 92 in .357 and 50-100 rounds in the car. Smith m629 and Rossi 92 in .44 magnum in the truck. Both vehicles have 1 large camp knife (8 inch Bowie or Bolo) and a 4 inch Bravo1. I pack an axe, a one man cross cut saw, and shovel in the back too, plus a week’s worth of food, camp cookware, and water filter/bottles. Sleeping bag, tarp, and cordage.

The big snows we just had knocked out power for a week and closed highways for several days. A good rehearsal for the big one.